The official group chat of the ride is a group channel on the Telegram chat app. You will receive the invitation link after you have registered, and we will be available on there to answer questions and organise meet-ups.

One important resource on the Telegram channel is the “pinned” messages. If you tap the summary at the top of the screen, you will be able to go back in time through the set of messages that the organisers felt were most important to read. It’s worth getting caught up on those at the beginning, and checking them out every so often.

In addition, you can search back for images of previous years’ rides, and there is a decade of conversation to search through if you want.

Another feature is the ability to share your live location on a shared map. Friends and family at home can track your progress as you go, and you can see multiple riders on the same map. This feature can use a fair bit of battery, however, so not everyone keeps it running.

A Caution

Telegram is a fantastic piece of software, with excellent facilities that are well-suited for this ride. It is, however, like many systems on the Internet, a bit of a zoo when it comes to its “communities”.

Many of us do not give our real names to the Telegram app, and will not show our faces in avatars. We have protected the group chat, but do not let it get access to your contacts. Be suspicious of any strangers who contact you via the app.

In addition, do not treat anything transmitted over Telegram as private or secure. We conduct this ride in public, which is the reason we still find it a perfect fit.